Scandelion - The garden of lies 3.5/5
Reviewed: 3-1-12
Tracklist:
1. Genesis of decadence
2. Fatal beauty
3. Apocalypse flower
4. Sparkles
5. Angelo nero
6. Butterfly agony
7. Swan's lament
8. Ghost of your soul
9. The garden of lies
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A few years ago I reviewed Scandelion's 2008 full-length debut 'The pureheart's breed'. I handed out a 3/5 "solid" rating, and felt that even though its production was a bit weak, it was still a promising start. I was also able to hear their 2009 demo which showed even more promise, and now they're back with their 2nd full-length CD 'The garden of lies'. Well, I can tell you right away that what I heard a few years ago has been taken to the next level, as this CD is a definite improvement over their material from a few years ago.
If you missed my review of their debut, the band's style is gothic metal (with some symphonic metal and power metal too), and they're of the "beauty and the beast" vocal type. The "beauty" is Sonia Hernandez (soprano style, but not too operatic), and although she was great on the debut, she sounds even better (more mature) on this CD, and that could have a lot to do with the fact that the production is a lot better than what was heard from the debut. The "beast" is handled by Jorge Afonso, who is also the keyboard player. There's no doubt that Sonia dominates (which is pleasing for me, since I'm such a big fan of female vocals), but Jorge adds the perfect amount of deep "beast" vocals. There are also some small choirs, and they add yet another dimension to an already strong vocal department.
Most of the songs are mid-paced yet catchy gothic metal, highlighted by the quality of the vocals. My favorite song is the ear-grabbing track 7 "Swan's lament", as Sonia sounds wonderful and it's the most memorable song on the CD. All of the songs hover around a level of greatness though, and consistency is another positive aspect from this CD. Since there are already many bands in this style, consistency and quality are crucial, and I must admit that it's nice to know that this band really did improve over their promising debut. I think that fans of this style should check them out immediately, especially fans of Epica, To Elysium, After Forever (early), Tears of Magdalena, Luna Obscura, Tears of Martyr, and the many other similar bands. Nicely done, for sure.
CLINT
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